The Unlikely Rise of Walter Stadnick in the Canadian Hells Angels

Fallen Angel:

The Unlikely Rise of Walter Stadnick in the Canadian Hells Angels

Michael Donaven

Looking at a Fallen Angel

Introduction

The Hells Angels have a very long and powerful history in Canada. Many Canadians from only a generation past will remember witnessing it's beginning and sudden rise to power as the largest criminal organization in Canada. They are easily the biggest supplier of drugs in Canada and many have lost their lives at the hands of this organization.

The Hells Angels, a brief look.

When one reads the story of Walter Stadnick and the Canadian division of Hells Angels, one phrase comes to mind, "What haven't they done?" Throughout the book we are introduced to the myriad of crimes that this criminal organization undertakes, from it's introduction in the drug trafficking world by first selling PCP to flower children in the hippy era of the 1960's, to the large number of homicides and crimes tantamount to terrorist acts in the 1990's biker wars in Montréal.

One of the most intriguing aspects of Hells Angels drug related history is that they did not begin dealing out of delinquency and greed like many would have suspected, but out of desperation. The organization was relatively poor at the time, being only a club, and many of those members worked part time jobs to pay for their bikes and what little else they owned. However, the bikes were getting costly, and their brothers often found themselves in jail during the fifties and sixties, in particular, four members were indicted for raping a 15 and 14-year-old girl. Lawyer fees and bail weren't a relatively cheap expense for an already financially strained establishment; they soon realized money had to be made to keep living the lifestyle they were accustomed to. (Langton, 2006, p. 27-28) they were soon introduced to methamphetamines and crystal meth, it was a relatively cheap and easy drug to produce, ideal for the xenophobic club, which was also in high demand. (Langton, 2006, p. 28) What was the logical decision for Sonny Berger to do with this new discovery? Sell it to the hippy youth at their peaceful protests, and that was their beginning as a criminal empire. (Langton, 2006, p. 30)

From here we see the Hells angels take a very aggressive business like approach to the running of their club, even setting up a military-like hierarchy for any future members and clubs to join and work their way up; followed by a creed for their club, a set of rules, that if violated resulted in death, the biggest creed was that ones colors were to be cherished and protected at all times and that nothing was near as important as those colors. (Langton, 2006, p. 25-27)

Aggressive expansion ensued across several states and eventually into Canada, taking over the Popeye's in Montréal, led by Yves' Trudeau, a man who would infamously go on to murder a possible 43 people. (Langton, 2006, p. 30-34)

Just as marijuana is known as the gateway drug, dealing drugs would probably best be known as a gateway crime. Like many drug traffickers, the hells angels soon adopted other criminal methods to control their businesses and remain a powerhouse in the industry. Soon the Hells Angels found themselves dabbling in other crimes such as property damage, assault, and even murder.

The Canadian chapters were still relatively small at the time, and there was a heavy ideological division between the Laval and Sorel chapter, or the Hells Angels North and South. The first biker war in Canada began between the Hells Angels and the Outlaw controlled Satan's Choice, it was relatively low key, but deaths did occur quite often on both sides, and after an altercation with the West End Boys, it got heated. ((Langton, 2006, p. 34-37) After years of drug abuse leading to a massive debt, The Sorel chapter eventually took it into their hands and exterminated much of the Laval in the Lennoxville Massacre. Trudeau was the only one who escaped Sorel's Wrath. (Langton, 2006, p. 37-41). A tabloid reported that they had placed a fifty thousand dollar bounty on Trudeau's head, the SQ used this to get him to talk and fess to forty-three murders and lead to more arrests. (Langton, 2006, p. 41)

When Walter Stadnick, a Hamilton native with a background in drug dealing, a love for motorcycles, and an all around charismatic and intelligent young man, entered the Hells Angels, he brought something to the table many had not before him. The Hells angels were still relatively small in Canada, with a chapter in Halifax, a couple in Quebec, and a couple in Vancouver. Stadnick became intent on changing this. He networked with the right people and he kept his nose clean, one of the few members with a very minor criminal record. He appeared untouchable. They were easily impressed with him and after a few bumps in the road, the death of Buteau and an accident that scarred him for life, he replaced their recently deceased national president of Hells Angels Canada. He also appointed Maurice 'Mom' Boucher as the head of the Québec chapters in his stead as he began his expansion into Ontario. (Langton, 2006, p. 43-88)

This was when the authorities began to really get involved with the Hells Angels. Sure they had been keeping tabs on the group for a while, but nothing real significant until the Biker wars began between the Hells Angels Montreal and the Rock Machine. For much of the 1990's, citizens in Montréal lived in fear as shootings occurred on a regular basis